2 Kings 23 · Verse 21

2 Kings 23:21

And the king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the passover unto the Lord your God, as it is written in the book of this covenant.
2 Kings 23:21, King James Version

2 Kings 23:21 in other translations

BSBThe king commanded all the people, “Keep the Passover of the LORD your God, as it is written in this Book of the Covenant.”
WEBThe king commanded all the people, saying, “Keep the Passover to the LORD your God, as it is written in this book of the covenant.”
ASVAnd the king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the passover unto Jehovah your God, as it is written in this book of the covenant.
YLTAnd the king commandeth the whole of the people, saying, ‘Make ye a passover to Jehovah your God, as it is written on this book of the covenant.'
DARBYAnd the king commanded all the people saying, Hold the passover to Jehovah your God, as it is written in this book of the covenant.
BBEAnd the king gave orders to all the people, saying, Keep the Passover to the Lord your God, as it says in this book of the law.
WebsterAnd the king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the passover to the LORD your God, as it is written in the book of this covenant.

What does 2 Kings 23:21 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 2 Kings 23:21-23
21-23. the king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the passover unto the Lord your God, &c.--It was observed with great solemnity and was attended not only by his own subjects, but by the remnant people from Israel (see on 2Ch 35:1-19). Many of the Israelites who were at Jerusalem might have heard of, if they did not hear, the law read by Josiah. It is probable that they might even have procured a copy of the law, stimulated as they were to the better observance of Jehovah's worship by the unusual and solemn transactions at Jerusalem.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 2 Kings 23:15-24

Josiah's zeal extended to the cities of Israel within his reach. He carefully preserved the sepulchre of that man of God, who came from Judah to foretell the throwing down of Jeroboam's altar. When they had cleared the country of the old leaven of idolatry, then they applied themselves to the keeping of the feast. There was not holden such a passover in any of the foregoing reigns. The revival of a long-neglected…

Read the full comment on 2 Kings 23:15-24 →

2 Kings 23:21 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיְצַ֤וvay.Tzavand he commandedH6680
הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ha.Me.lekhthe kingH4428
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
כָּל\־kol-allH3605
הָעָ֣םha.'Amthe peopleH5971
לֵאמֹ֔רle.Mor<to> sayingH559
עֲשׂ֣וּ'a.SuobserveH6213
פֶ֔סַחFe.sacha passoverH6453
לַֽיהוָ֖הla.Yah.wehto YahwehH3068
אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֑ם'e.lo.hei.KhemGod yourH430
כַּכָּת֕וּבka.ka.Tuvaccording to <the> [what] is writtenH3789
עַ֛ל'alonH5921
סֵ֥פֶרSe.fer[the] scroll ofH5612
הַבְּרִ֖יתha.be.Ritthe covenantH1285
הַזֶּֽה\׃ha.Zeh<the> thisH2088

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 2 Kings 23:21

  • Deuteronomy 16:1-8

    Observe the month of Abib, and keep the passover unto the Lord thy God: for in the month of Abib the Lord thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night. Thou shalt therefore sacrifice the passover unto the Lord thy God, of the flock and the herd, in the place which the Lord shall choose to place his name there. Thou shalt eat no leavened bread with it; seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread therewith, even the bread of affliction; for thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt in haste: that thou mayest remember the day when thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of thy life. And there shall be no leavened bread seen with thee in all thy coast seven days; neither shall there any thing of the flesh, which thou sacrificedst the first day at even, remain all night until the morning. …

  • Numbers 9:2-5

    Let the children of Israel also keep the passover at his appointed season. In the fourteenth day of this month, at even, ye shall keep it in his appointed season: according to all the rites of it, and according to all the ceremonies thereof, shall ye keep it. And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, that they should keep the passover. And they kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month at even in the wilderness of Sinai: according to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so did the children of Israel.

  • Numbers 28:16-25

    And in the fourteenth day of the first month is the passover of the Lord. And in the fifteenth day of this month is the feast: seven days shall unleavened bread be eaten. In the first day shall be an holy convocation; ye shall do no manner of servile work therein: But ye shall offer a sacrifice made by fire for a burnt offering unto the Lord; two young bullocks, and one ram, and seven lambs of the first year: they shall be unto you without blemish: …

  • 2 Chronicles 35:1-19

    Moreover Josiah kept a passover unto the Lord in Jerusalem: and they killed the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month. And he set the priests in their charges, and encouraged them to the service of the house of the Lord, And said unto the Levites that taught all Israel, which were holy unto the Lord, Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David king of Israel did build; it shall not be a burden upon your shoulders: serve now the Lord your God, and his people Israel, And prepare yourselves by the houses of your fathers, after your courses, according to the writing of David king of Israel, and according to the writing of Solomon his son. …

  • Exodus 12:3-20

    Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. …

  • Leviticus 23:5-8

    In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the Lord’s passover. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the Lord: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread. In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord seven days: in the seventh day is an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Keep.
2Ch 35:1-19
as it is written.
Ex 12:3-20; Le 23:5-8; Nu 9:2-5; 28:16-25; De 16:1-8

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 2 Kings 23:20

    And he slew all the priests of the high places that were there upon the altars, and burned men’s bones upon them, and returned to Jerusalem.

  • 2 Kings 23:21

    And the king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the passover unto the Lord your God, as it is written in the book of this covenant.

  • 2 Kings 23:22

    Surely there was not holden such a passover from the days of the judges that judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel, nor of the kings of Judah;

Read all of 2 Kings 23

2 Kings 23:21 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Entonces mandó el rey á todo el pueblo, diciendo: Haced la pascua á Jehová vuestro Dios, conforme á lo que está escrito en el libro de esta alianza.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et le roi commanda à tout le peuple, disant: Célébrez la Pâque à l’ Éternel, votre Dieu, comme il est écrit dans ce livre de l’alliance.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und der König gebot dem ganzen Volke und sprach: Feiert Jehova, eurem Gott, Passah, wie in diesem Buche des Bundes geschrieben steht.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Et præcepit omni populo, dicens: Facite Phase Domino Deo vestro, secundum quod scriptum est in libro fœderis hujus.